Summer In Stanton (Stanton Falls #3)

by Kaci Hart

  He wanted to let it wait until the morning but he knew he didn’t have the time for that. She could be packing right now for all he knew.

  He turned around and walked back to her door, knocking. She opened the door up a few seconds later with a cautious expression on her face.

  “Yes? Are you here to tell me more that you’ve discovered about me.”

  “No. I came to ask you to stay the rest of your trip.”

  “Really?”

  “Well the truth is that we don’t have the money to cover the cost of replacing your clothes so I was hoping we could just let you stay for free and we could call it even.”

  “What?! So you can’t cover the cost of my clothes and that’s why you’re not so high and mighty anymore. I’ll have you know that my clothes were not cheap at all. I don’t know if it’s even worth it.”

  “At least consider it, please.”

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you, and you’ll find that whatever it is you came here for, Stanton Falls is just the place to find it. Either way, I don’t want to bother you anymore tonight. Just let whoever is at the front desk in the morning know your decision.”

  He turned to walk away when she stopped him.

  “Hold on. You know what? I did come here for a reason and I’m going to stay but . . .”

  He watched as she turned back into her room. “You are not leaving here a second time tonight without these.”

  She handed him a bag.

  “Your soaked clothes. Right. I’ll make sure they are ready for you as soon as possible.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  Moments later she had shut the door and he was heading downstairs again. He did a lot of things here, but laundry was not one of them. Ms. Celia or Libby would take care of this.

  As he reached the lobby area, he was surprised. He didn’t know why he was so rude to her earlier. She really wasn’t all that bad. Not his cup of tea, of course. That didn’t matter though. He didn’t need to like her or hang out with her. He just needed to tolerate her while she was there.

  Just two weeks.

  Chapter Five

  Tessa flicked the television off and lay down with her eyes closed. A minute later she rolled over onto her back before sitting up on the bed and looking at the alarm clock beside her bed.

  Twelve thirty-seven a.m. No way I’m gonna make it until morning.

  Tessa got up angry with herself. She knew she should have at least grabbed a sandwich last night before it got too late but she was caught up talking to her dad about the crazy series of events that had happened so far that day. Now she was bone tired and only wanted to rest. If she wasn’t so hungry, she would have. But she knew her body and she knew that she wouldn’t get much sleep with her stomach in need of food. She got up and headed to the kitchen downstairs.

  That’s the problem with staying in small towns. No one down here and not even a vending machine in sight.

  There was no way she was going to wake someone up just to make her a sandwich. At the same time, she wasn’t going to bed hungry. She made her way into the kitchen as quietly as possible and opened up the fridge, preparing to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich--but the eggs, milk, butter and syrup in sight had her mind set on pancakes. She looked in the cabinet and found the flour, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder. There were even fresh strawberries on the counter. Her mouth watered at the idea of her mother’s extra fluffy pancake recipe.

  She took all the ingredients out and started cooking.

  Nearly twenty minutes later she had set herself a place on the table and was eating pancakes with hand whipped heavy cream, syrup, and strawberry pieces. She bit into the pancakes and smiled.

  “Thank you mom.”

  She mumbled through a mouthful of food. She would have savored the delicious mix of sweet goodness in her mouth a little longer if she hadn’t been nearly scared to death by what happened next.

  “I’m not your mother.”

  She sat stiff in her chair and wondered momentarily if she was sleeping. Until the person started talking behind her again.

  “And why are you in my kitchen?”

  She got up and turned around. She had never met the woman but Tessa had no doubt that the motherly figure standing before her was Ms. Celia.

  “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone else would be up. Are you Ms. Celia?”

  “I am, and normally I am the only one that ever sets foot in that kitchen so I feel inclined to ask what in the devil you are doing down here at this time of night?”

  “I got hungry and I didn’t want to bother anyone. I figured everyone else was sleeping.”

  “And you didn’t want to bother me. Well you didn’t have to do that. It’s my job to cook the food here so you can’ be taking away my responsibilities. I could have got up and prepared you something. I’m up half the time snacking myself.”

  “Oh I don’t want to be trouble though. I really had planned on a sandwich but your fridge was so stocked that I couldn’t help it.”

  The older woman sat at the table.

  “Well. You got a pretty big pile there beside you and all this good smelling food you got is what woke me up so do you have enough to spare one for an old lady?”

  “Yes ma’am I have enough. I made too much. I was going to see if Libby wanted to share some with me in the morning since I’d made so much.”

  Tessa took two pancakes from the pile

  “I’m sure she would have. She doesn’t exactly love my cooking.”

  Tessa didn’t want to say anything negative to the woman in her own kitchen.

  “That’s probably not true.”

  “Now listen. You can’t feed me and lie to me in the same breath. I may not be the best cook in the world but my hearing works just fine. Thank you for sparing my feelings but I heard you and Libby talking about my cooking earlier. I believe you were trying to find out if salt and pepper are on strike.”

  “Oooh. Did I say that?”

  “Yes you did.”

  “Sorry.”

  The woman bit into the pancakes.

  “Don’t worry about it. As good as these are, you have the right to say whatever you want about my bad cooking.”

  “Honestly, your food wasn’t bad in and of itself. It just needed a little more seasoning. Little salt here and there would work wonders.

  “I guess that’s what happens when they make the housekeeper change jobs. I never really wanted to do the cooking. Most people think every old, heavyset woman from Texas can cook but I’m terrible in the kitchen.”

  “Ms. Celia, it’s so not true. My mom taught me that anyone can cook if they enjoy it. You just need a little help with your seasoning skills.”

  “Well even if I did enjoy it, I don’t know how an old lady like me would learn cookin’ at this age. What am I supposed to do, go to one of them fancy schools that Chef Alvin went to?”

  That gave Tessa an idea and she smiled.

  “In a sense.”

  “What you mean?”

  “I mean that I could show you a few things. Basic ingredients and tricks that will have your food better than any restaurant stuff.”

  “Really? You would take from your vacation to do that?”

  “Yeah. It might sound kind of strange for me to offer but I’d like to. Because of my job--former job--back home, I don’t find the time to cook anymore. I’d forgotten how much fun it was. How much I used to love doing it with my mom. She always said that cooking could bring any two people together.”

  “Your story is so nice. How could I possibly say no to that?”

  “You can’t. And your problem is so easy to fix, I promise. When I was in your kitchen, I noticed you have hardly any seasonings in there. I’m gonna have to head to the store and get some so how about I go through your menu and go to the store tomorrow? I’ll pick up some stuff to spice things up.”

  “Oh I can’t let you do that honey. You’re a guest here.”

  “Exactly. C
onsider it me being selfish. If I’m going to last here two weeks, I’m going to need salt to survive.”

  The old lady and Tessa laughed at each other as they continued to enjoy their pancakes.

  ***

  Tessa got out of her car and headed towards the entrance of the grocery store when she saw the bed and breakfast manager walking in her direction. She didn’t want to create a scene. At the same time, she didn’t really know what to say to him. She’d just as soon not talk to him but since he was walking in her direction, she guessed it would be considered rude to run away.

  “Ms. McGuire.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Please. After the last twenty-four hours, I think we can at least use first names. In fact, maybe we should start over.”

  She took her hand off of her shopping cart and extended it to him.

  “Tessa.”

  “Great. I’m Connor and I wanna thank you for staying.”

  “Well, despite the ownership issues, I think your little bed and breakfast is really nice. I haven’t slept like I did last night since I moved to New York.”

  “Different city huh?”

  “More like a different world.”

  “Yeah. We get that in Stanton Falls a lot.”

  “I bet.”

  Tessa looked up at Connor. In spite of his attempt at a gruff exterior, she could read him as easily as he had read her and every mannerism about him told her that he had the world on his shoulders. That only made her feel worse about her attitude yesterday. So many people had bigger problems than her ruined clothes.

  “So. Doing a little grocery shopping?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You know we have a cook at the b and b right?”

  “Of course. I’ve met her and she’s nice but her food could use a little help.”

  “Maybe but she tries.”

  She could tell by the way he said it that he was a little protective of Ms. Celia. He probably thought she was being rude again. She started to tell him what she was doing but changed her mind. If he’d misjudged her again that quickly, that was his fault this time. All he had to do was ask but she didn’t have time to go around that again.

  “Yeah. Anyway, you shopping too? Maybe I should just have you pick my stuff up for me too.”

  “I’d be glad to but I’m actually headed to the flower store next door.”

  “A guy that buys flowers huh? You can’t be all that bad.”

  “Don’t let that fool you. I have been known to say completely stupid stuff to people I hardly know.”

  “I bet. Well don’t let me keep you from your flowers.”

  “Yeah. Okay later then.”

  Kinda awkward there but it could have been worse.

  She watched as he walked off and then she went back to her business. She had a small shopping list so she figured it would be quick.

  Five minutes later, Tessa grabbed the container of red seasoning off of the shelf and placed it in her cart. She looked at the list on her phone once again and put a check mark beside the last item. She was done shopping, so now she could head on home and get started on tonight’s dinner with Ms. Celia.

  ***

  Connor stood up and stretched. It was hot out today and he needed a break. He’d been up all day fixing the leak in the roof. It had been two days since he found out about the leak and he didn’t want it to get a chance to do more damage than it already had. He’d shut down the room until he could check the floors and other areas for more structural damage but he’d found the source of the leak so the worst was done. Now he just wanted a cup of cold lemonade and a roast beef sandwich so he headed inside.

  He walked into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. What he found inside was a real surprise to him. The last guest that he ever expected to be in his kitchen was not only in there, but wearing a hairnet and apron. If the amount of flour all over it was any indication, the apron was not just for show. She was instructing Ms. Celia to take the biscuits out of the oven and to place them on a cooling rack.

  As he watched, he couldn’t help but notice how Tessa looked different to him than before. Maybe it was because she wasn’t wearing her designer clothes or sunglasses. No. It was something different. She looked happy. The first day he’d met her, she looked overstressed, overworked, and tired. Now she looked like Stanton Falls was finally having a relaxing effect on her.

  “Excuse me? What are you smiling at?”

  It took him a second to realize that Tessa was talking to him.

  “Ehem. Sorry. I . . . nothing at all. Just a bit surprised to see you in the kitchen.”

  “Okay now Connor I have to say this. You have made too many assumptions about me. Some may have been right but you know they say that even a broken clock is right at least twice a day. Your odds are much worse than that.”

  “I have to agree. Well, the food smells completely delicious. What did you make?”

  “Pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and extra butter biscuits.”

  “Sounds delicious. Can I taste?”

  “Not before dinnertime.”

  “Oh come on. You cannot expect me to walk in, smell this and not get a taste.”

  “I can too.”

  “Well then you better stay here the whole time.”

  Miss Celia chimed in.

  “Honey, you better listen to him. Go ahead and give him a spoon of your good stuff because if you don’t he will be in every pot the second you turn you back. Believe me, I know, and my food wasn’t ever as good as this.”

  “Fine. At least wash your hands.”

  He headed toward the kitchen sink and she shouted at him.

  “What are you doing! Not in the kitchen sink. You are such a man. Never mind. Open your big mouth before I change my mind.”

  Connor smiled as she grabbed one of the biscuits and broke it in half, dipping it into the gravy from the roast. When she placed it in his mouth, he couldn’t believe how good it was.

  “Mmm. Mmm. Mmmhmmm.”

  “I take it you approve.”

  “Do I approve? I only have one thing to say. I am going to wash up right now and I expect some of that to be on a plate or a bowl or saucer or something by the time I get back.”

  Connor didn’t even wait for a response. He ran to his room and took the quickest shower he’d probably ever taken in his life. All the while he kept thinking how much he completely misjudged her in so many ways. He was more glad than ever that she had stayed and it wasn’t just because of the food. She was interesting.

  Chapter Six

  “No. I’m sorry Tessa but you are not going to ever be able to leave.”

  “Stop exaggerating Libby.”

  “I am not exaggerating. Tell her Ms. Celia.”

  “I have to agree. Maybe my job is at stake but with the way you cook, I don’t even know if I wanna set foot in this kitchen again. I mean this strawberry shortcake is to die for.”

  “Thanks. It’s m-”

  The two smiling women interrupted her at the same time.

  “Mom’s recipe. We know.”

  “I guess I’ve mentioned that a few times.”

  Ms. Celia pushed her plate forward, cleaned of crumbs. The only proof that there had been a dessert on the plate were the small streaks of strawberry goo that she hadn’t sopped up with bits of cake. At a glance, even that would have looked like part of the dish’s colorful design.

  “Yes. But there’s nothing wrong with a girl that idolizes her mother. That’s what makes you so strange to me.”

  “Now I’m strange? I thought you southerners were supposed to be politer to your guests.”

  “Whatever. I know your feelings aren’t hurt so easily. What I mean is, and no offense to your fancy job in New York, but I don’t believe that I have ever met someone who was such a natural in the kitchen. And you enjoy it so much. Why didn’t you do something like cooking.”